1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for attaching together mated pairs of shoes offered for sale. In the mass merchandising of relatively inexpensive shoes by self-service department stores, discount stores, factory outlets, and the like, it is common practice to fasten the mated shoes of a pair together, to prevent their separation and possible mismatching. The price tag is usually attached at the same time. This is customarily done by means of a thin strong plastic filament about 8 or 10 inches long having locking means for joining the ends together. In the case of shoes having straps or buckles or eyelets for shoe laces or vents or the like, there is no problem in fastening the shoes together because the locking filament may easily be inserted through one of the available apertures on each of the shoes. The filament is passed through a hole in the price tag and the ends are locked together. Some shoes, however, do not have any available aperture. It has been the practice to pierce the side of the shoe in order to thread the connecting filament through it. This leaves an undesirable and unsightly blemish after the filament is cut and removed, after purchase of the shoes.
2. The Prior Art
McCulloch U.S. Pat. No. 1,470,280, Milliken U.S. Pat. No. 897,476 and Spencer U.S. Pat. No. 794,561 are exemplary of the prior art relating to attaching mated shoes of a pair together, primarily for convenience and identification purposes. Harris U.S. Pat. No. 509,529, Shaw U.S. Pat. No. 949,201 and Haskell U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,566 are exemplary of the prior art relating to atachment of price tags to shoes. None of the prior art addresses the problem of connecting together mated shoes of a pair which do not have any vent or eyelet or buckle or other aperture through which a connecting filament may be passed.